A few days ago we talked about how to interact with babies, about the games we can share with them to have fun together, stimulate them and help them a little to develop in multiple aspects. We did it talking about babies up to 6 months, and today we will talk about babies children over 6 months and up to one year.
As we said the other day, one of the most important things we can offer you is our time. Children at these ages already play a lot with the material things that we buy from them, and I mean mostly toys, but these are still only a potentiating element of the game and that is why they do not usually want to be alone, but have us with them to play with their toys together.
What can we achieve playing with them?
Playing with children should be something stimulating for children and also stimulating for parents. There doesn't have to be a goal behind, because then we'll turn a good time with our baby into a moment of work, homework, "I do it so she learns". In other words, children learn by playing, but The main objective is to spend time with him, get to know each other, establish ties, get along, etc.
Once this is clear, I tell you what we can achieve with the children, so that when choosing toys we know which ones they may like best or which ones we can get right. Children from six months can:
- begin to become aware of your own body: with sensory games, toys with mirrors or games with photos of babies, family members or himself.
- Experiment with the sounds and music: they love it, that's why it's important to play music, sing and dance with them. Toys with melodies or to locate sounds can be of great help, although they should not be abused for our mental health.
- Exercise the view: moving or three-dimensional toys favor the perception of depth and vision in three dimensions. Games with bright colors, shapes, cloth stories with simple illustrations, etc. are suitable.
- To stimulate the first vocalizations: for this we have to talk to them a lot, repeat words, name objects, celebrate their attempts, etc. There are toys with voice and educational DVDs, which can be used. What happens is that they do not interact with the baby, and that is why they are useful as a vehicle for speech, as an aid for us, but not as a main game element.
- Facilitate the crawl: crawling is very positive for the neurological and physical maturation of the baby. From 6-7 months, it is necessary to favor crawling, leaving children a long time on the ground and reinforcing their small advances. Some toys with movement motivate the movement and can be of great help to encourage the first autonomous movements. If not, we can always leave things close to them so they want to take them or sit close to them calling them to come to our arms.
- Favor the handling: we have to provide objects and toys suitable for exercising and favoring manipulation: grab, throw, spin, hit, squeeze ... All this allows the third dimension to be assimilated and improves eye-hand coordination.
- Improve their motor control and its balance: games that invite to move, launch, swing, push, drag, climb are suitable ...
- Experimenting with the fall of objects: throwing objects to the ground, again and again, allows them to discover space and assimilate the cause-effect relationship. We have to be patient with it and let it throw and throw objects, and light and resistant toys. In addition, they will know how far the patience of father and mother goes, which is also interesting for them, right?
- Search for objects or people: at this stage they must learn that although objects or people hide, they do not disappear. All toys in which compartments are opened and closed or games where adults show how hidden things are still there are recommended. Come on, that some simple boxes with objects that we put in and stop seeing each other, but still there, they work wonders.
- Calm the exit of the teeth: for this there are teething rings, teethers or other toys that help alleviate these discomforts while favoring the oral examination.
- Acquire basic concepts: we can provide games that allow us to explain simple concepts such as inside-outside, large-small, near-far, etc.
Let them discover the toys and the things we offer them
As you have seen, more than games, we have explained the concepts, so that you are the ones who allow children to start discovering the world through toys and the elements we leave them for it. It is interesting that, although we are the ones who give them the toys, and even though we know exactly how we leave them, we give them a little freedom to be the ones who discover the possibilities that hide.
They have a much more open mind than us, they are much more creative and we adults are much more gridded and much more given to make a summary, or a synthesis, of what something can offer us, limiting much the uses we give to each object
As they are better able to find new uses than us, and not to hinder their innate curiosity and the pleasure of discovering things, it is important that when we give them a new element Let them know what it is for. It is very possible that they end up using it in the way that we do not expect it to be used, but it does not have to be wrong. As they grow up they will find the purpose or utility we see, and they will add the ones they found.
Photos | Joe Van, Sharon on Flickr On Babies and more | Mom and dad: how to be the perfect playmate for the baby ?, The three bases of your child's learning: play, Intellectual development at home: tactile stimulation
